I’m not generally one to jump on a band wagon – I tend to think it through and be sure it is my cause. But this thing with the missing girls in Nigeria has me worked up a bit. I don’t have any answers as to where they are or how to bring them home. All I have are questions – how can a mother go through this? How does a daughter find the strength to survive? How can so much evil exist in this world? Where is God in all this mess – I know He’s here, I just don’t understand yet how He is going to show Himself.
If those were American girls swept away from their families, threatened with slavery, missing because they were being educated would we do something different about it? I don’t know the answer to that question but I do wonder.
Here it is Mother’s Day and my heart breaks for the women who sit at home or go out to government officials asking “where is my daughter?” “Is she still alive?” “How is she being hurt?” I can’t bare the thought of what that would be like.
But even worse is to think what is going on in the hearts and minds of those girls. Educated girls knowing enough to realize the danger they are in. Girls who were studying and working to improve their lives, being treated as chattel (property to be sold or destroyed at the whim of the owner). How can that be?
I look at these photos of “my girls” — some of the daughters of friends and family who have captured my heart. If one of them were missing I don’t know if I could breath anymore with all the tears, let alone walk or eat or speak. Completely disabling! How does a mother whose child is missing gather the strength to search and urge others to search?
Yet if I was the mother of a child who was missing, how could I do anything but search and urge others to search? How could I even acknowledge Mother’s Day knowing that some insane man and his minions is in charge of the fate of my child?
I hope I would recognize that the God of the Universe is in charge, and that He has the power to turn this into something good – even something great – for those who love Him.
I don’t have a child in this terrible tragedy, I can’t look at any of those mothers and tell them what they should feel or think or believe. But I hope beyond all that is realistic that each and every one of those mothers and daughters has a peace from God that He is aware of the problem and has it in the palm of His hand.
Still I ache with the knowledge that if my child was missing I don’t know if my faith is great enough to overcome the fear. It would require a super natural intervention from the King of the Universe to bring me even one iota of peace.
So I pray for each mother of the 275+ missing girls – that throughout this tragedy they will experience the God of all Comfort in a new and beautiful way. That they will have the knowledge that God is with their daughter providing her with the strength and peace that she needs to get through all that she faces. That God is available to those who call on His name – so call away mothers, call away!
I pray that the communities impacted by this terrible violation of freedom and humanity will be strengthened to stand up and protect themselves from the terror brought by evil men so misguided as to think any human, male or female, is less worthy, less valuable or less in any way.
Because of my own sin and judgment, I am reluctant to pray this, but out of obedience, I pray for the man and his minions who took these girls. May their hearts be changed and softened, bringing them to let the girls go home safe and sound.
And I pray that each of the girls be safe from further violations, free of physical pain, comforted by a peace beyond understanding, and found alive and healthy. I pray that they can be reunited with their families, homes and communities in a way that brings Glory to You God – glory to You!
Amen!
